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Hermes 3 8B

Fine-tune of Llama 3.1 8B

A fine-tune, not a new architecture. It sits with other 8B chat models, and it is not given a separate ChatGPT percentage here.

WritingChat

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A Nous Research fine-tune of Llama 3.1 8B

4.7 GB · · needs ~4.7 GB · smallest file

Runs in:

Hermes 3 8B is a Nous Research fine-tune of Llama 3.1 8B. The chip is that 4-bit file, not a separate kind of model. About 4.7 GB, so it fits computers that can hold an 8B chat model. The old-PC and €500-laptop guesses leave less than that free.

Fits on:
Flavors:

Tasks this model can do

How good is it?

A fine-tune, not a new architecture. It sits with other 8B chat models, and it is not given a separate ChatGPT percentage here.

A local chat model can be wonderful at everyday writing and still miss today's very best cloud model on hard reasoning.

Will it fit?

A green light means it fits and feels fine. Amber means it fits, with a wait or a tight memory pool. Red means the memory it needs is bigger than the room we count.

HONEST COMPARISON

Local or cloud: Chat with an AI privately?

Reviewed Oct 2026

  • Privacy: Local winsThe conversation never leaves your PC
  • Cost: Local winsEveryday chat is free
  • Quality: Cloud winsThe top hosted models are still sharper
  • Ease: Cloud winsOpen a tab and type

Running Hermes 3 8B locally

This is the job local AI is for. The chat stays on your computer.

  • No account and no transcript on a vendor's server
  • Works offline
  • A small model is enough for everyday chat

Where it falls short

  • The best cloud models are still sharper
  • You give up web search and live tools
See local tools for this task ↓

Cloud & apps

ChatGPT and Claude are smarter and easier, and the conversation is on their servers.

  • CChatGPTCloud AIFreemiumPopular choice

    A sharper general chat, with tools a local model does not have.

    Best for: Hard questionsTools

    The chat is stored by OpenAI unless you change the settings

    Visit ChatGPT (opens in new tab)
  • CClaudeCloud AIFreemium

    Careful long answers, still on Anthropic's servers.

    Best for: Long answers

    The chat is sent to Anthropic

    Visit Claude (opens in new tab)

Our take

If privacy is the point, run the chat locally. A cloud bot is smarter, and it is not private.

Choose local if…

  • The topic is personal
  • You want it offline

Choose cloud if…

  • You want the sharpest answer
  • You need web search or tools

Will it run on my computer?

Pick the memory you have. A Mac counts 75% of unified memory. A graphics card counts 90% of its memory. A PC without a graphics card counts half of its RAM. The memory we plan around is 4.7 GB.

Hermes 3 8B fits. About 12 GB is free, and this model needs 4.7 GB.

Official install guides

We link to the makers. We do not write our own install steps.